Major renovations begin
St. Malachy’s Church in Kinkora raising funds through capital campaign
St. Malachy’s Church in Kinkora is in its second year of a five-year capital campaign to renovate the historic building.
The campaign was launched in June of 2015 and since then major renovations have begun.
The front of the 114-year-old church is currently getting a facelift, with new siding being the priority for this summer.
Patrick McSweeney, campaign chairman, is excited about the developments.
“The committee is very pleased with the campaign and its progress.”
Last summer, the roof was redone with new shingles, a project that cost around $40,000.
Installing the new siding will be completed by the end of September, said Richard Ellis, who is working on the project.
Renovations involving replacing the heating system, electrical upgrades, parking and cemetery improvements are just a few of the projects that showcased the need for the capital campaign.
The original goal was $375,000, but it was recently raised to $500,000.
The committee members are confident they will reach the goal, said McSweeney, noting the second-year goal was met.
To date, $265,000 has been raised, with more than half of that coming from pledges.
There are 38 families who pledged money, in a variety of amounts, to the capital campaign’s efforts.
“We are very thankful for the parish community and former parishioners who have pledged or given a one-time donation.”
Pledge forms are still available and gladly accepted. Any amount helps, said McSweeney.
Apart from pledges, fundraisers have helped towards the cost of renovations and upkeep.
The Sommerset Festival donates around $4,000 a year, as well as money raised from the Paul McIver Memorial Golf Tournament, local resident Harrison Duffy’s haunted house and memorial donations, to name a few.
An anonymous benefactor also pledged $125,000 to the campaign – $25,000 a year – and the project has received $50,000 of that so far.
“The committee is very pleased with the campaign and its progress.” Patrick McSweeney